by Helen Jones

Caffeine Withdrawal and Game Of Thrones

*Note: This post contains Game of Thrones spoilers, so don’t read if you haven’t seen the latest episode yet 🙂

I am, for some reason, a day ahead of myself. I thought today was the solstice, but the 21st is tomorrow. Although, the solstice seems to move around a bit, so it could be today.

Sorry. I’ve just given up caffeine so I’m a bit foggy, hence this rather random blog post. As to why I’ve given it up, health reasons blah blah blah boring. I’m interested to see how it goes, as that’s how I tend to approach most things in life – with a ‘let’s try it and see’ attitude.

I also just watched Game Of Thrones episode nine and SPOILER ALERT DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN”T SEEN IT I’m totally overwhelmed. It was truly spectacular television. First Dany with her dragons taking control, then the Battle of the Bastards, then Sansa finally getting back into Winterfell and giving Ramsay his (very) just desserts. I sat there for a few minutes afterwards just taking it all in. Sounds mad, doesn’t it? After all, it’s only a TV show. But the beauty of GOT, the reason I think it’s so popular is that it is, at its heart, despite dragons and magic and castles, a soap opera. The characters drive the stories, and what started as a group of different kingdoms and families has now been woven together in ways unexpected, each twist and turn keeping the viewer hooked.

As a writer I can take lessons from the way the show pulls viewers along. We are made to care, to choose sides, to hope and fear and despair alongside the characters, to mourn (or rejoice) in their deaths. I realise GOT is based on the books by George R.R. Martin, and so reflect the world he has created – however, with his latest book delayed, the showrunners have had to forge ahead without a source document, and I think they have succeeded in keeping the story alive.

I’m not sure whether it’s caffeine withdrawal or dragons that has me so shaken up. I have editing to get on with, plus some other work, so I really do need to get back to work. But for now my mind is filled with smoke and battles, and the feeling you get at the end of a really good story, when things turn out as they should.

Caffeine withdrawal is rough. I’ve given it up, too, but that was because all my unpleasant symptoms happened when I didn’t avoid it. 🙂 I actually think my life has gotten better, I’m serious.

I know what you mean about being so effected by a story. It’s happened to me, too, being very overwhelmed or emotional or both after reading or watching something. Some scenes stay in my mind permanently, sometimes I even have memories I’ve forgotten after being emersed in the story. When it comes to Game of Throwns I admit that I just can’t handle it–the scenes shift too fast to keep track of, and it’s too violent for me. In a way, that’s a compliment to the producers’ ability to make the characters convincingly real. It’s just a little too close to reality for me. Dragons and the wall being exceptions, of course! 🙂

To be honest, I stayed away from Game of Thrones for a long time because I wasn’t sure I could take the violence, and even now I can’t watch all of it. It certainly is realistic, about as close to real violence as I can take. this last episode, though, brought together storylines that had been brewing for several seasons, and so was immensely satisfying 🙂
As for the caffeine, I’m starting to feel a lot clearer in my head, so that can’t be a bad thing. Hope it continues… x

I had to wait until now to read this post, as I’ve only just found time to watch GOT – and OMG I’m so pleased I did wait! That was such a fabulous episode and I was SO delighted (awful, isn’t it – morbid, really) about Ramsay’s end!
I was disappointed when Joffrey died – it was too fast and easy, considering what he’d done to others. But this was totally just desserts.
I feel almost guilty to be rejoicing so in a gruesome death (fictional character or no), but he deserved it!
I don’t shy away from killing my own characters, and some of them don’t die well as happens in real life, but I do like to finish a real villain in appropriate fashion.
Bravo the GOT screenwriters – one of the best episodes ever. And just when I think they’ve given Dany her best ever scene, they go an pull out an even better one!
There – real GOT nerd here, as you might have noticed.
Hope the caffeine withdrawal is improving – you want to be on top form to watch next week’s extra long season finale!

Oh, I was equally delighted with Ramsay’s death – he was just so AWFUL. I took a morbid delight in his demise, no guilt whatsoever – does that make me an awful person? 😀 I had to kill off a villain in one of my books and it was such a pleasure to write his death, compared to killing off characters I loved.
And Dany and her dragons! I loved loved loved that she’s finally taken control – I’m so excited to see next week’s episode! Hehe, fellow GOT nerd (and nerd in other ways too) here 🙂
The caffeine withdrawal is getting much better now, thanks for asking – perhaps it will be good for me after all.

I didn’t get to watch the episode until last night and all I can say is wow. That was some spectacular cinematography! I felt the pounding of the hooves, the manic chaos, and the crush of bodies. I mean I was impressed with how the situation in Meeren played out, but I’ve grown to expect a level of badassery from Dany’s camp. The battle of the bastards on the other hand was breathtaking. It also illustrated why I don’t write a lot of epic battle sequences in my books. Clearly, like Jon Snow, I know nothing!

With only one episode remaining, I believe I am now in withdrawal as well.

Oh – and the summer solstice was on the 20th at my latitude/longitude, though it may be the 21st elsewhere so you were right and wrong at the same time.

Hugh mentioned that, because it’s a leap year, the solstice came a day earlier – I think I was just all over the place that day! But now the wheel of the year has turned towards winter – still waiting for summer to arrive over here though 😀
And gosh, yes, wasn’t it a visually stunning episode. That bit with the dragons, then the contrast of ice and blood in that battle – I actually rewatched the next day because it was just so satisfying. What will we do after next week?

Totally agree with you on GOT the television version – its creators have been able to create their epic while staying true to the original written novel source. When one gets down to it, Hamlet is just a soap opera where everyone dies at the end.

The pitch battle between the “two bastards” was on par with any battle scene, television or film. One its secrets is that it had nearly six seasons to lead up to it, giving it a deep fabric of themes and story lines (an advantage two or three hour movies cannot achieve). When Jon Snow was rising up from the pile of the dead, the wounded and the living, in a crush of humanity, his only thought about getting air into his lungs…there is so much just to that moment.

Oh, I know – it was hard to breathe just watching it. And now I’ve seen the final episode – what a way to end the season! And once again, storylines running across several seasons were addressed in a very satisfying way, yet still surprising to watch. So well done 😀

Yeah, the final episode was a good as one could hope for. I don’t envy them in the task of trying to weave the story lines not only in and of themselves, but to run parallel temporally with the others, all without coming across as contrived.

That she did. And now she has become the dark queen – the whole series up to now to explain how did the dark queen get so dark.

Yet now, as her brother / lover looks on with a bit of trepidation, her youngest brother stands on the lead ship of Daenerys’ armada (and three dragons) heading right towards her. The family holiday dinners will never be the same.

hmmm…didn’t catch that little twist…does Jamie have to be Kingslayer and Queenslayer? (it was Aerys desire to use dragon fire as she did that led him to kill the mad king).

And just have to throw it out there: Now that we know that Jon Snow is the son of Ned Stalk’s sister and Aerys, making him a Stalk and a Targaryen, and Daenerys heading back with some intent to marry, and given that the Targaryens don’t have a problem with brothers and sisters getting married…

Jon and Danaerys would become the song of ice and fire if they got together, although it could be argued that Jon is that already… And Cersei’s prophecy, which has already partially come true, states she will be killed by her ‘little brother.’ She is technically older than Jamie, but my money is on Tyrion. However, the look Jamie gave her at the end made me pause…

Winter is definitely here 🙂 And I think that’s the other great thing about GOT. Even when you think you know what’s going to happen, the show still has the power to surprise. Can’t wait till next season 🙂